Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the House that we are now just 238 days from the commencement of one of the most important sporting events in the nation’s calendar—the 12th Australian Masters Games. The Masters Games is an event that exemplifies the commitment with which our nation engages on the sporting field. At a time in life when Western social convention suggests people begin to wind down their sporting commitments, withdraw from contact sports and engage in less physically demanding and arduous activity, Australians seem to be gearing up. So much so it is anticipated that in excess of 10,000 athletes will register to participate in the 70 different sports on offer during next year’s games, making it the biggest Masters Games in the 22-year history of the event. It will host more events and athletes than the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

From the host city I am happy to report that Geelong is busily preparing itself for the arrival of the athletes and their families, friends and supporters. Come 20 February next year it is our intention to provide the nation with not only the biggest but also the best Masters Games yet held. It is envisaged that the Masters Games will now rotate on a biennial basis between Geelong, Canberra and Adelaide. It is for this reason I wish to inform the House of the formation of the Parliamentary Masters Games Committee. The member for Adelaide, who is, of course, the Minister for Sport; the member for Canberra; ACT Senator Kate Lundy, who is a Masters Games bronze medallist in rowing; the member for Corangamite; and I have all agreed to form this committee. I will also be inviting other Adelaide and ACT MPs to participate in the committee if they wish. It is our collective hope that this committee will provide a forum which can liaise with the Masters Games organisers and through which we as parliamentarians may discuss and promote ways in which the Commonwealth can assist with the ongoing success of the Masters Games. It is a body that we hope will serve the best interests of the Masters Games organisers, much in the same way that their hard work and diligence aid the greater Australian community.

For 10 days between 20 February and 1 March next year the Greater Geelong region will be on show. To that end we shoulder a heavy burden of expectation following the immense success of the previous Masters Games, particularly the 2007 games held in Adelaide that also incorporated the first Australasian Masters Games. However, the people of Geelong love a challenge. I know that at a local level planning for the event has been underway for quite some time.

To ensure the success of such a large sporting festival, a wide array of volunteers are needed both before and during the games. I take this opportunity to invite all members of the Geelong community to consider ways in which they can assist by visiting the event website: www.australianmastersgames.com. This is a fantastic opportunity for the Greater Geelong region to showcase itself on the national stage. Whether they participate as an athlete, operate a local business or assist as a volunteer, I hope that all Geelong people get involved.

I also use this opportunity to encourage the wider Australian community to participate in the games. Those individuals who compete in the 12th Australian Masters Games shall take with them the memories of having visited a region that has some of the best beaches, restaurants and wineries in the country, is the gateway to one of the world’s most spectacular scenic touring routes and, given the sporting theme, is the home of some of Australia’s best sporting facilities and of course the nation’s premier football team.

The 70 sporting events of the 12th Australian Masters Games shall be spread across 80 different sites around the Geelong region, one of which is Geelong’s Skilled Stadium. In the most recent budget the Rudd government committed over $14 million to upgrade the existing facilities at Skilled Stadium. Skilled Stadium is an important sporting and cultural icon in the life of the Greater Geelong community. Host to various sporting and social events, the centrepiece of the Kardinia Park sports precinct and the home of the Cats, it shall again be a focus during the Masters Games. I look forward to hosting the Minister for Sport, the member for Adelaide, next Tuesday in my electorate, when we will visit Skilled Stadium along with a number of other sporting facilities in Geelong. The minister will be taking the time to inspect the progress of the Skilled Stadium redevelopment. I am sure she will use the opportunity to impart her experience of the 11th Masters Games in Adelaide as well as to encourage Australians to participate in the 12th Masters Games, with the official athlete registration period opening next Monday, 30 June.

The 12th Masters Games will be a fantastic event. It will be fantastic for the community of Geelong and fantastic for all of those athletes who will participate. Again I encourage the people of Geelong to get involved and assist in the staging of the games in any way they can. To the nation: we look forward to seeing you come 20 February next year.